I'm so grateful that I can actually breathe again today, but the second dose of pred, plus being exhausted has really got to me today, got through the day at work, then had a meeting and was so tired, just came home and flaked out on the sofa. Still got loads of work that needs doing by yesterday, haven't marked any books all week due to not being well, have reports to finish and have no clue what I'm teaching tomorrow, and I just feel like crying!

By the end of the day my limbs feel like lead and I've got a horrible hayfever headache.

Sorry for the moan, just needed to get it out. My colleagues have been really lovely and considerate, but I think now I'm not pale and wobbly any more they think I'm fine! Plus I'm daft and I won't tell anyone at work how bad I'm actually feeling. Only got sent home on Tuesday because someone caught me in the corridor and was worried I was going to keel over.

Does anyone else always leave it too long before admitting they actually can't keep going any more? Every time I wonder why I do it because I end up so exhausted I just can't get everything done.

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Hiya, yep I always try to make myself stay at work when inwardly I'm feeling terrible I try battling on best I can all week and then by Friday, I'm exhausted. My manager always asks me how I'm doing; I think she knows me too well now though and I've lost count of how many times I've been sent home on a Friday! Only last Thursday did she send me home before the team meeting (probably cause my constant cough was more annoying than anything else)! Hope you feel better soon.

Don't be sorry for the moan. It's rubbish when you feel ill because of asthma and others (colleagues, friends etc) don't umderstand how awful you feel as they don't see the half of it. Oh, the aches, exhaustion, pred blues, i'm feeling them all too. But I love having this place to escape to, full of people who understand it all, so thanks to all lovely people on here. I understand about the work thing, I tend to try to keep going but it usually makes things worse in the long run. I've very reluctantly taken time off work this week, I'm self employed so no sick pay

Hope you feel better soon. Rest up and try not to let the stress of undone work get to you, there's only so much you can do. xx

Lou, I know what you mean about the money, I'm temporary at the moment so won't get paid for the day I missed on Tuesday. Unfortunately I always seem to get ill when there's a lot on, as it's usually at the end of the term when I'm tired anyway, and coupled with the pollen and funny weather I don't stand much chance really. I get so frustrated because I like to be on top of things and I get cross with myself when I think about the things I haven't done that I should have done.

Haven't actually evaluated any afternoon planning at all since half term, oops!

It's bad enough feeling ill the worse part is being tired then to loose money adds insult to injury. I always feel like shouting its lung disease i have not a cough & cold thats why im sick. Something needs putting in place for all asthmatics a benefit for those that need it.

Just bumping this up again because I've had my last dose of pred this morning and still not really feeling right. Never had a course longer than 5 days and am a bit cross that asthma nurse prescribed only 30mg as I was sceptical whether that would be enough at the time. I don't think I should still be waking in the night for my ventolin should I?

Now quite concerned that as I've finished the pred I will get worse again and am already on maximum dose inhalers. GP was reluctant to prescribe anything else last time I had an exacerbation before Christmas because I have been so well controlled on seretide in between exacerbations. If I go to see my GP again tomorrow morning is it likely she'll prescribe more pred? Any ideas what else she might be able to do? I really don't want more pred as I feel horrible on it, but also want to be able to go to work until the end of term (three weeks).

I think it is more than likely if you are still not feeling right that they will extend the course of prednisolone. I have had it a couple of times where I have not seen a doctor before and they do not know my history and have given me 3 days worth of extra prednisolone to top up maintence dose and I have said that I normally need more and had to go back again to have dose and number of days increased to help matters.

Thanks Malawi. Was unsure because this time last year ended up at OOH a couple of times and they said they couldn't give me more pred because I had just had a course, despite the fact I was needing huge amounts of ventolin. Also really not liking the way the pred's making me feel this time, really tearful and shaky, sure I don't normally feel like this. I'm worried I'm going to say something really awful or stupid to someone because I don't quite feel in control of what I'm saying. Sorry to keep moaning about it again.

Don't know what GP would do, but it's probably worth seeking their advice, and seems like you need to ask about the seretide too. I've had extra pred before when 1st 5/7 day course hasn't done its job.

Thanks. I've got lots of sitting down work to do today (reports :() but I feel so jittery it's hard to sit still to do it. Breathing isn't bad enough to force me to stay glued to the sofa, but I am getting SOB walking round the house and am really tired because I keep waking up in the night.

It's so great to have this forum as somewhere to offload because I really don't want to keep moaning to colleagues at work and OH has heard it all before as well.

Doctors do not like giving out lots of pred because of the side effects... I would not worry to much about short courses of pred being a problem... I can sympathise with the mood being all over the show I have the same issue been on extra pred ontop of my maintence dose since start of may and not likely to start reducing the dose back down to 10 mg until the end of the month (hopefully).

Yep I know why they are reluctant to give out loads and really don't want to have it if it isn't necessary because of the side effects, but despite that I know it's preferably to constantly not being able to breathe, having to have loads of time off work, not sleeping etc.

I think that last year I really needed a bit longer to settle things down because I spent about 3 months having days off, being up in the night all the time, not being able to do anything at home, spoke to the AUK nurses who said push for more pred until feeling better, but was told it wasn't necessary. Maybe because I'm not good at explaining how much it's affecting me because I don't like to make a fuss.

I think I'll see how I am tonight and tomorrow and if still having problems at work tomorrow I'll go back to GP and see what the options are. Don't want to take anything that isn't necessary but I need all my energy for work and can't afford to have any more time off.